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2012 rematches are common occurrence

Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is taking a shot at getting back to Capitol Hill. |
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“It may be three to four years since people like Ann Kirkpatrick and Carol Shea-Porter voted for a failed stimulus and a job-destroying government takeover of health care, but the dire consequences of a worsening economy are still fresh in voters’ minds,” NRCC spokeswoman Joanna Burgos said.

“It’s a lot easier to beat somebody the voters already fired than it is to make the case against somebody new,” McElwain said.

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Former Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, who lost his suburban Philadelphia seat last year to Republican Mike Fitzpatrick after unseating him in 2006, cautioned that every rematch is a two-way street.

“There’s positives and negatives. You know your opponent, but your opponent also knows you,” Murphy, who’s now a leading candidate for state attorney general, told POLITICO.

Democrats are hopeful that repeat Republican challengers who fell short in the best GOP climate since 1994 have nowhere to go but down. In New York, Republican Randy Altschuler came so close to beating Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop last year that he didn’t concede until a month after the election. Altschuler recently launched another campaign, as did fellow New York Republican Matt A. Doheny, who lost to Democratic Rep. Bill Owens last year.

“It’s going to be very hard for those types of candidates to make a case, unless redistricting really changes the lines in their favor,” said Democratic fundraising consultant Michael Fraioli.

“These are battle-tested Democrats who already survived an incredibly challenging political environment and will win again,” DCCC spokesman Jesse Ferguson said. “On the other hand, these Republicans barely won with the wind at their backs and now are renting a seat in Congress for two years.”

Republicans counter that longtime Democratic incumbents may take more than one cycle to unseat. NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions, they note, lost in the Republican wave of 1994 only to win two years later. Newt Gingrich ran multiple challenges before finally notching a win.

In addition to the national climate, massive spending by the presidential candidates could affect down-ballot congressional races. Many of the midterm rematches were in presidential swing states, but this year only three are in heavily targeted states: both districts in New Hampshire, and a possible rematch between Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly and Republican Keith Fimian.

“The presidential battleground states are definitely going to be a factor in these rematches,” said Democratic pollster Keith Frederick. “We’ve seen a real nationalization of congressional elections, and everything that just happened in this debate over the debt ceiling points to another national election.”

Rumor has it that Alan Grayson got a bad rap too. So he's planning another run at it. It had nothing to do with him being a hateful, loud-mouthed and warped libtard in a historically Republican district.

Anne, you won against a Representitive who was being investigated for corruption (to bad he wasn't a Democrat/Socialist, then the investigation would still be going on, right Maxine?). Then you lost to a dentist with no legislative experience. During your one term in congress, you did what, exactly? You'll win in the sancturary city of Flagstaff, but like last time you'll lose the rest. Can't wait to see you Coconino County Fair next week!

“These tea party members are pretty extreme, and these people who won despite having held no elected office are not going to win again,” said former Rep. Martin Frost, an ex-chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Yeah, they were so "extreme" that they actually worked for a living before they ran for office. You should try it too sometime, chump.